July 12, 2010
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Saturday Sue and I had the privilege of doing a family wedding. Although my pastoral days are over, I still get asked by the unchurched part of our relatives and friends to help out once in a while. This one was a collection of rural folks with farming and ranch backgrounds – an outdoor wedding at a fairgounds in some of the most productive wheat country in the US. You could tell many of the parents had gone or were still going to church. Those in the wedding party were all in their 20’s and virtually none of them were involved in church. The presence of God was at that wedding and I could feel God’s favor on those young people; all were working, some single and some married with young families. They are the best and brightest of God’s next generation. I could only feel His delight in them. They are hard-working, fun-loving and responsible. I honest think they carry less baggage than my generation. 20 something’s - It seemed obvious that our church message was missing them, and it made me wonder what the puzzle peace was. I do sense the presence of God in churches, so I’m not down on “church” at all. I do think our message is missing the next generation. The message they hear is that if I go to church, it will cost me my weekends and fun with my friends in exchange for something that is fairly boring and irrelevant. Now I don’t think the presence of God is boring or irrelevant, so I pressed on for the missing ingredient. The message of the church (my message too) has been that we should repent and turn toward God and forsake our own ways in exchange for his will. I’m admitting to myself that this version of the gospel is theologically unproductive and only partially correct. There is a shift from church to Kingdom going on right now that represents a breath of fresh air for all of us, 20-something’s included. The message of the Kingdom – God is inviting us to see the connection between the desires of our heart and his will. We’re no longer just abandoning everything in our own hearts to be “good Christians.” Our church theology has just produced a tiring form of religion that part of my generation will endure. However, it’s unanimously rejected by 20-something’s. This generation won’t abandon their dreams to sit in a pew for a lifetime. We can call it selfish and materialistic if we want to, but I think that it’s probably God leading them! The gospel of the Kingdom sees the church as a means to an end – not the ultimate goal. Our objective is to release people into their own entrepreneurial creativity and release them as Kings to minister in our cities and cultures, setting the captives free instead of imprisoning them within the four walls. The institutional church can be a place where we learn how to make our dreams come true. The Kingdom is being built by people excited about what they are doing in every mountain. Making church growth the goal has been a huge mistake. We’re really building the Kingdom, one entrepreneurial dream at a time. The first priority – Religion is defining our spirituality with a list of what we refrain from… we don’t do drugs and alcohol; we don’t watch bad movies; and we go to church on Sunday. Jesus’ disciples asked Him what they should really focus on. His response was “believe in me.” Jesus
answered them and said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not
because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were
filled. 27 "Do not work for the food which perishes, but for
the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give
to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal." 28
Therefore they said to Him, "What shall we do, so that we may work the
works of God?" 29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of
God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." John 6:26-30 NASU
What’s the top priority? It’s not about the do’s and don’ts of religion; it’s not even about the miracles of those claiming to be free of religion. People who really believe in Jesus simply talk to Him… About what? Well, about those dreams, of course. The Father is inviting you and me to dream and to implement those dreams by the power that works within us. He’s inviting us to paint a picture of what we would really want our future to look like, and then he’s pulling the curtain back on His will so we can see that it’s the same thing. It includes wealth creation, ministry beyond our expectations, blessing on our families and jobs and new opportunities. When the curtain is pulled back on the will of God, it’s even better than we dreamed or imagined. God
can do anything, you know — far more than you could ever imagine or
guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us
around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within
us. Eph 3:20 THE MESSAGE
Have the conversation – Sit down with a pen and paper and write down what you would really like your future to be like. Then simply start the conversation with Father God and begin exchanging ideas. You’ll be amazed! He will make it better. He wants your cup to overflow in every area. We always minister to others out of the abundance in our own hearts, our wisdom, and our prosperity. I can only describe this lifestyle as fun. You’re invited to a wedding party.
Desire to Destiny is available now at our store along with reviews. Not sure what your dream is? This book will help you pull the curtain back on your future. Newsletter - If your newsletter comes incomplete (filtered), you can always catch the latest version in our archive along with 200 others. 1800+ people from around the world get Kingly encouragement from our weekly newsletter. Invite a friend to subscribe - they will be blessed. How to Start a Small Group - Kings are increasingly getting involved in Bible study or mentoring groups to facilitate their "Release." Here are some helpful suggestions www.Releasing-Kings.com/Starting-a-Group.html. We've also updated our Vision Brochure with graphics to show how to become a King and how you can help Release Kings. Lastly we've created a guideline to help you take your dream to the next level by considering the elements of a business plan. See Write Your Business Plan. French Translation - Releasing Kings is now available in French thanks to the efforts of Cees Bakker and Support Ministries in the Netherlands. In France, copies can be obtained from Editions Menor or Librairie Chretienne CLC. The Title in French is “Libération des Rois pour le ministère dans le monde du travail”. Cees is also the guy who made the Dutch translation possible - available through his website. He can be contacted for Releasing Kings conferences in France and throughout Europe. Facebook - I'm posting more information on Face book at http://www.facebook.com/john.garfield1
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